So She Dances
by soulsistersinaslan
Summary: Will romance bloom between the new girl and the star fullback of the Dillon Panthers football team? Or will his reputation and manipulating girl get in the way? Whoever said starting a new school your senior year of high school was out of their mind.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for my characters...those would be the ones you don't recognize from the show. **

** Prologue:**

I stared up at the ominous looking building in front of me. I have never been more scared in my life, at least that I can remember. I thought about turning around and running. To where I don't know, just as long as it was away from here. But that option went out the door faster than it came through because my mom was happily waving at me from our 2007 silver BMW. I smiled and waved back to her then faced my doom again. Gathering whatever courage I had I began the long trek up those marble stairs, into the building that would decide if I lived or died- high school.

My mom and I moved here a week ago and finally finished making the new house our own a few days ago. Since moving here I have not been out of the house to explore the town, unless it was to buy groceries or pick essentials from the mall or convenience store. So I had no idea what or whom I was about to walk into; I was going in blind-sided. Not paying any attention to where I was going because I was trying to make sure I didn't trip and fall and make a fool out of myself, I got to the top of the stairs only to bump into a brick wall. I hit the wall so hard I started to fall backwards, accepting my fate of tumbling down the steps and ending up with a few nice sized bruises on my body for the first day of class and bracing myself for it, so I closed my eyes. However, I braced myself for an impact that never came because all of a sudden I felt two strong arms wrap around my body, keeping it from falling backwards. I opened one eye and peaked at my rescuer to see the most beautiful man I have ever laid eyes on in all of my seventeen years. He had great hair, darkish brown in color, the kind you just wanna run your hands through and play with all of the time; a sculpted muscular face with sharply defined cheekbones you wanna trace lightly with your fingertips just to see what his reaction would be; large dark brown eyes framed by long thick black lashes that you know would feel heavenly while gracing your face and neck with their butterfly kisses; skin, bronzed by the sun that looked so smooth you could just glide your hands all over it and never find a blemish. I could tell that he worked out quite a lot and most likely played for some sports team from the feel of his muscles flexing and rippling while he held me. I don't know how long I stared at the Adonis that had caught me before I fell but I was brought crashing back to reality when he stood me back up and after making sure I was okay, released his hold on me. Still staring I didn't realize he had spoken to me.

"Huh?" I questioned intellectually. He chuckled, a deep rumbling that started somewhere in his chest and rose up to and out of his mouth. How I wish I was pressed against that glorious chest of his to feel his laughter.

"I asked if you were okay. Are you?" he repeated.

"Um...uh...y-y-y-y-y-y-yes...I mean no...I mean...maybe...um...I don't know?" Everyone surrounding him laughed at my response, or lack there of. Oh first day of senior year in high school, why do you hate me so?

"You don't know?" he questioned me.

"Um...uh...w-w-w-w-well...I-I-I-I-I-I-I...you see...um...uh...i-it was...I just...um...yes? "

"Yes, you're okay or yes, you're not okay? Which one is it?"

"Yes...I mean I'm okay...I mean no...I mean...um..." Thankfully the sound of the bell saved me from answering, or rather saved me from stuttering even more than I already was. Everyone around us scattered in every direction possible, saying goodbye for now to their friends, promising to meet up after school, walking hand in hand with their sweetheart. "Adonis" and his friends also began the walk to their first classes when Adonis turned around, giving me a questioning look. He opened his sinful mouth to say something but closed it when the thin arm of a blonde cheerleader attached itself to his muscular one. I knew a threat when I saw one; Adonis was hers and off limits. As she forcibly turned him around, he spared me one last glance before disappearing into the building with his arm around the cheerleader. I let out a breath I didn't no I was holding, gathered whatever dignity I had left and walked into the building.

When I passed through the doors, I noticed that the halls were strangely silent. Must have been because the bell rang a few minutes ago and all of the students were in class. Having absolutely no idea where I was or where I was supposed to be, I decided I had a fifty-fifty chance of walking in the right direction so I turned right and walked down the hall. I passed a few different classrooms but I couldn't see inside because the shades were pulled down on the windows. Walking down the hall I noticed that for the most part everyone decorated their lockers. Some with pictures, some with posters, some with graffiti and others with stickers, others with school memorabilia. _Well, at least there is school spirit_. And as I thought this I happened to glance upward and see a giant sign hung across the hallway that said **Go Panthers**. _I guess this is going to be a sports oriented school_, I thought.

Continuing my trek down the hallway I slowly began to realize that I was going the wrong way. Now I was hopelessly lost with no one to help me. I decided to turn around and head back to the main entrance and find a map of the school. I kept my head down while I was walking, watching my feet walk one in front of the other and therefore did not notice someone walking in my direction. Actually I didn't notice the other person until I had bumped into them, or more like ran them over seeing as how we both plummeted to the floor with a grunt, with me landing on top of whomever broke my fall. We tried unsuccessfully to untangle ourselves but only succeeded in getting even more tangled. I decided it was a good idea to start apologizing for my clumsiness when I realized who it was that I had ran over. Adonis.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. Guess you just couldn't resist me, huh?" His hands were on my back, twitching as if he wanted to move them but was too afraid to do so. Oh, I wouldn't have minded in the least if he were to run those hands of his up and down my back for the rest of time. I love my fantasies.

"Um...I didn't mean to run you over. I swear. I mean, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. It's my fault. I'm so sorry."

"Whoa, whoa, it's okay. I wasn't paying attention either. There's blame to share."

"But I knocked you, I mean, us down and you're probably hurt or something horrible like that. And...hey, you're a football player."

"Yes I am. I'm glad you noticed. Didn't think it was obvious, you know, with me wearing a football jersey and all."

I couldn't have felt any dumber than I did at that moment. Well, I'm sure I could have but I really did not want to let my mind wander down that path. I was in a bad enough situation as it was. "Well, I didn't notice what you were wearing before, you know, earlier today. What with the almost falling down the steps and you catching me." God why couldn't I keep my mouth shut.

"Um, not that I'm complaining about this, uh, position we're in, but I kind of have to go see the coach for a meeting. So if you wouldn't mind... "

Finally realizing that we were still lying tangled together on the floor in the middle of the school's main hallway, I quickly scrambled to get off of him. It was the last thing I wanted to do and I wasn't sure what he wanted to do. His previous comment confused me. Didn't he have a girlfriend? A cheerleader girlfriend who was pretty and popular? What did he want with me? What did he mean by not minding the position we were in? Is he a player-type? I hope not. I mean I want him to be with me but that would mean cheating on his girlfriend now and I didn't want to be known as the slut or home wrecker on my first day of school. We righted ourselves and stood there awkwardly for a few minutes that felt like forever.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around then. Try not to run anyone else over. It's only the first day of school, you know."

"Yea, see you. Wait!" He stopped and turned around to face me again. Oh God, his eyes, so seductive. "I was wondering if you could tell me where the principal's office is. You see, I'm new here, but I guess you already new that and that was dumb of me to say. But you see, I need to know where I'm going and I already missed first period and I don't want to miss anymore. So if you could just point me in the right direction I promise not to bother you anymore, or anyone else for that matter."

He chuckled again, a deep seductive sound that sent shivers through my entire body. "Why don't you just come with me. Coach's office is like three down from the Boss's office. That way I can keep an eye on you to make sure you don't run into anyone else."

"Um, thanks." Ugh, that's all I could say. I hate myself right now.

He turned around and started walking again and glanced back to me to see if I was coming with him. I hurried and got myself together and followed behind him. I honestly don't know which view is better, the front or the back. It doesn't matter to me, both are very nice to watch.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing from the show, only Elizabeth and any other characters you are unfamiliar with.**

**Chapter 1:**

Sitting in the admissions office, I couldn't help but reflect on my journey here with Adonis. It went surprisingly well, considering the morning I was already having.

_Flashback_

_We managed to make it all the way to the offices without speaking a single word to each other; he was probably thankful that he didn't have to hear my annoying voice anymore. We walked side by side, each concentrating on where we had to go. The one thing I noticed was that every time we passed a classroom the boys would smirk knowingly and the girls would smile flirtatiously and bat their lashes at him. Who was I kidding? Even just thinking about him in that way? God, I was such a fool. He would never go for me, the stupid, clumsy new girl when he had all of his loyal fans ready to wait on him hand and foot. He was out of my league and would always be. Feeling more depressed than I already was, I hung my head even lower. Thankfully we reached the admissions office soon and parted ways._

"_Well, here you go. Do you need anything else?"_

"_No, I'm fine. Thanks for your help."_

"_Okay, if you're sure. Good luck with everything here. And don't worry, they don't bite unless you provoke them."_

_I chuckled slightly and then turned the doorknob to enter the office when his voice stopped me one more time._

"_Hey..."_

_I turned in his direction and was once again struck by his pure masculine beauty, shining in the sunlight of the early afternoon._

"_Try not to crash into anybody anymore, okay?" he advised, laughing to himself._

"_Yeah, okay...I won't," I replied weakly, realizing that I was nothing more than a joke to him._

_Turning away from him, I slowly entered the office, glancing back once to see him already making his way down the hall to the football coach's office with a bounce in his step; what do you know, he was happy to get rid of me. I shook my head and quietly closed the door to the office and took a seat._

_**Present**_

Now sitting here, awaiting my fate in the principal's office, I was not nervous. In my mind, there was nothing worse that could happen to me today than what had already occurred. The hottest guy in school thought I was a joke and I had already embarrassed myself in front of his friends on the steps outside so there was absolutely no chance of befriending one of them in hopes to get his attention. Releasing a deep, heavy sigh, I silently glanced around the room in hopes to find something interesting to study. The door next to me opened and in walked a very pretty and pregnant blonde woman. Her aura emanated a sense of comfort and understanding, like you could tell her anything and she would never judge you for it. She was wearing black dress pants and a cute A-line blue light cotton shirt, no doubt from The Maternity Store. She walked over to the secretary's desk, dropped off a few papers and then turned around to leave when she spotted me. I quickly averted my eyes, in hopes that she would realize I didn't want to talk to anyone else today unless it was absolutely necessary. Well, what can I say, luck was not on my side today.

"Hi there. My name is Tammy Taylor and I'm the school counselor. I don't believe we've met before."

"Um, no ma'am, we haven't. I'm the new girl. My name is Elizabeth Jefferson. I just transferred from the Foxcroft School in Middleburg,Virginia."

"Hi Elizabeth it's very nice to meet you. Have you gotten everything sorted out yet?"

"No ma'am, that's why I'm here."

"Well, unfortunately nothing will be sorted out if you stay here. The first day of school is always crazy and nothing ever gets accomplished. You know what, why don't I just get you settled and then I can show you around and get you to your classes. What do you say?"

"That would be great ma'am. Thank you so much."

"Oh please, Elizabeth, call me Tammy or Mrs. Taylor. Ma'am makes me feel so old."

"Yes ma'am, I mean Mrs. Taylor."

"Do you have a nickname I can call you? Elizabeth is quite a mouthful if you don't mind me saying so."

"Um, no, I don't, actually. It's just...Elizabeth. Plain, old Elizabeth."

"Well, we'll just have to give you one then, now won't we? Lets see, how about Lizzie?"

I gave her a look that clearly said 'no way'.

"Okay, no. What about Eliza?"

Again, I gave her a look.

"Okay, okay, okay. I got it this time. How do you feel about 'Beth'?"

I thought about it for a few seconds. 'Beth' did have a nice ring to it, classy, sophisticated. I think I actually like it.

"Okay...yeah...I think that could work. Thanks Mrs. Taylor, no one's ever given me a nickname before."

"Well, all that is about to change. You have a new start here at Dillon High and I intended to help you every step of the way. Now come on, Beth, we've got some exploring to do."

I think I'm going to like this Mrs. Taylor. I gathered my things and followed her out of the office. She gave me a big goofy grin that made me giggle. I think we were going to have a beautiful relationship; I could already tell she would be the one who would really be interested in what was going on in my life, unlike everyone else who pretends to care. As we walked we talked about everything from my old school to my hobbies; I was actually surprised when I looked into her eyes and saw that she was generally interested in what I was saying.

"So Beth, what kinds of things to you like to do?"

"Well, I really like to read. I know it sounds really dorky but it's one of my favorite pastimes."

"Oh honey, nothing you like to do is dorky. You should be proud of anything that makes you happy and anyone who tells you differently is out of their mind. Now, what kinds of books do you like to read? I'm an avid reader myself, but I lean more towards self-help and current events. What's your interest?"

"Well, I really like reading books about history. Not so much textbooks because they can et a little boring after a while. I'm one for the really old books, the ones no one wants to read in the library. I find history so fascinating because I feel that if you know where you come from then you can know where you're going. I'm really interested in everything from the ancient Greeks and Romans, from all the controversy of religion and politics to the great age of exploration, from late 18th to early 19th century England to present-day excavations of historical landmarks. I'm sorry, I'm rambling aren't I?"

"No, no, not at all. It's actually refreshing to talk to someone who is so passionate about something other than football around here. It's amazing that you know what you're interests are, especially at such a young age. Gives me hope for some of our other students here," she said with a slight chuckle. "Oh, that reminds me, I need to stop by my husband's office before we get to the grand tour. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not. I'll just wait outside."

"Oh nonsense, you just come right on in with me and make yourself comfortable. He does it all the time with my office. Ah, here we are."

I looked up at the door that we had stopped in front of and saw that it said 'Head Coach Taylor'. Hmm, I wondered what team he coached. If I had to guess I would say football because Adonis said he had a meeting with his coach and Adonis was wearing a football jersey. Oh please let Coach Taylor be the coach of some other sport, like soccer or something. But like I told you before, luck was not on my side because when she opened the door I saw a man in his forties, who had to be Mr. Taylor and of course, Adonis himself, Mr. Riggins according to his jersey. Oh yes, God hates me like no other.

"Hey honey. How are you?"

"Good, good. Just reviewing some plays with Tim here. How are you and the little one?"

"Oh, we're just fine. We made a new friend today. Elizabeth, come here you silly girl and say hello. I promise my husband won't bite, but I can't say anything about Mr. Riggins here. He's not under my jurisdiction."

"Oh, hey there little lady. I didn't see you. I'm Coach Taylor. What's your name?"

"My name is Elizabeth Jefferson, sir."

"Jefferson, huh? Like the president?"

"Yes, sir. I can actually trace my lineage right back to the man himself."

"Wow, isn't that something. We have our own celebrity here in Dillon now."

"Gosh, thank you for the compliment sir. But I really don't deserve such praise. I'm really nothing special."

"Modest and polite. Huh, your momma must be proud of you."

"Um..."

"Well, well, well. We meet again, Tripper."

Adonis's, I mean, Tim's deep voice saved me from answering about my mother. But unfortunately he also opened a whole new can of worms I was not ready to face.

"Oh, you two know each other?" asked Mrs. Taylor.

"Um...well...you see...we don't-"

"No Mrs. Coach, we don't know each other. We just ran into each other a few times this morning," replied Tim.

"Oh, well, isn't that sweet. Hey there's an idea. How about Tim, you show Beth here around the school and to her classes for the day so she doesn't have to wait for me to finish up in here."

We both began speaking at the same time, protesting the idea. I know he didn't want to be near me anymore because his reputation would probably be ruined and I didn't want to be near him because I didn't want to torture myself with something I would never have.

"HEY!", interrupted Mrs. Taylor.

Needless to say, we both shut up.

"Now, Tim you will escort Beth around the school and to all her classes. Anything she needs you will either help her get it or get it for her yourself. And if I hear one more complaint out of you I will put you back on probation. Am I understood?" she asked.

"Yes, Mrs. Coach."

"Mrs. Taylor, I really must protest. I'm sure I could find my way around here with a map. I don't want to inconvenience to anyone. Really I'll be fine."

"Oh nonsense little lady. Riggins has no problem being your escort, do you Riggins?" questioned Mr. Taylor.

"No sir, I do not have a problem with that."

"But I promise I'll be fine. Really, I would rather learn how things are done around here for myself, please."

"Miss Jefferson..."

"Really Coach, I'll be fine. I've been the new kid enough times that I pretty much know the drill. Besides, I'm sure Mr. Riggins has his own classes that he should be attending now."

The Taylors shared a look with each other but thankfully decided not to press the point anymore. Mrs. Taylor turned towards the door and gestured for me to follow her to her office where she would brief me on the basics and give me a map of the school. As I was shutting the door, I heard Coach Taylor say to Riggins, "You're a stupid boy, Riggins, letting a girl like that walk out of here. You'll regret it, trust me son, you'll regret it."

"Coach, I appreciate your opinion but I have a girlfriend. And I like her, not this new chick."

"Son, I'm saying you have to marry that little lady but did you ever think that having a friend who is a girl that you don't sleep with might just up your rep a little bit from trash to...not trash."

"Coach, could you please not meddle in my love life. It's perfectly fine the way it is."

"Son, I'm not interfering. But how would you feel if you were new and nobody had a clue as to who you were or what you were about? What if they just automatically assumed you weren't worth knowing because no one was willing to give you a chance? Think of how she must feel, for one second put yourself in someone else's shoes."

"Sir, no offense but I'm Tim Riggins. I would never be in that position."

I couldn't bear to hear anymore about how no one was going to care about me here, I quickly and quietly closed the door the rest of the way and followed Mrs. Taylor down the hall to her office. I tried to keep my breathing steady but after hearing that conversation I felt the beginning of tears prick the corners of my eyes. Hopefully Mrs. Taylor wouldn't notice.

"Well, here we are. Why don't you just have a seat while I find everything you're gonna need today," she said while walking around her office.

I guess she didn't notice my distress, or if she did she had somehow sensed that I didn't want to talk about it. I kept my eyes focused on my hands and concentrating on keeping my composure. I'm sure Mr. Taylor was just trying to help my case but he only made me feel worse. I knew I wasn't anything special but I really didn't need anyone else telling me that; my mother did that enough, especially since my father's... Ugh, I needed to stop thinking about things like that and start worrying about how I was going to get anywhere in this school by myself. I've done it before and I would do it again here in Dillon, Texas.

"Here ya go, sweetie. I really must apologize for my husband and Tim Riggins. Well, Tim is always like that, inconsiderate of other people, but I don't know what has gotten into my husband. He was completely out of line."

"That's okay Mrs. Taylor. It's nothing I haven't heard before."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, after you left, I guess you didn't hear their conversation."

"No I did not. What did they say?" she questioned in a tone that left no room for debate.

I repeated everything I had heard. I didn't want to hear those words again, even from my own mouth, but Mrs. Taylor encouraged me to continue. Once I finished, she sat back in her desk chair with a contemplative look on her face. I had no idea as to what was coming next, but it certainly wasn't the next words that came out of her mouth.

"I'll be back. Just wait here. I think my husband needs a refresher course in common courtesy. Oh, and don't you worry about Riggins, he's as good as dead."

_Uh oh, what have I done?!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2:**

Mrs. Taylor came back into her office with a satisfied look on her face. Something had obviously occurred in her husband's office and she came out of it victorious. Lost in my thoughts of how to apologize to Mr. Taylor for anything I had done that might have offended him, I failed to notice another person following Mrs. Taylor into her office. Whoever it was took the empty chair next to her and heaved a heavy sigh. I chanced a glance in that person's direction and suddenly felt even worse than I did before. Tim Riggins. Why me?

"Alright you two, here's the plan. The two of you will spend the next month together. You will learn everything you can about the other person in that time frame. You will have weekly meetings with myself and my husband. Your teachers will be informed of this situation so that in case I decide to pull the both of you out of a class there will be no objections or misunderstandings. Tim, anything Beth needs you will happily do for her and Beth, I want you to really try to make friends with Tim. Everyone understand?"

We both nodded our heads in a positive fashion. She could be quite intimidating when she wanted to be.

"Good. Now that we have everything cleared up, we can finally get you two off to class. Tim, you are responsible for getting Beth to all of her classes. I want you to walk her everywhere for this next month, both in and out of school."

"But..."

"Yes Mr. Riggins?"

"Nothing, ma'am."

"That's what I thought. Now are there any other questions?"

We were both silent, knowing that there was nothing either of us we could say that would make her change her mind.

"Good. Beth, here are your things and a map of the school. Your schedule is on top. Looks like you have all the honor classes. Smart girl, you are. Now, home room is nearly over so I suggest you two get a move on so neither one of you is late for class. Have fun!"

And just like that we were left to our own devices. It was clear that she wanted us to be on our way so we shared a brief look and rose from our seats and exited her office in silence, Tim quietly shutting the door behind him. We stood in the hallway for an awkward moment before he gestured to my schedule, indicating that he was eager to get me situated before getting on with his life. I handed my schedule over and waited patiently for him to make a move. Unfortunately, instead of making a move he simply verbalized the directions and started walking away.

"Hey! I have no idea where that is!"

"That's why I gave you directions. I'll repeat them for you if that would help but I'm not walking you there."

"But Mrs. Taylor said-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I heard what she said but what she don't know won't hurt her now will it?"

"But-"

"Look Tripper, I don't wanna complicate my life any more than it needs to be. You are a complication. I got a sweet deal here and I ain't gonna mess it up. Helping you around for a month would be messing it up. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Giving up I muttered a 'yes' to appease his majesty. Please note the sarcasm here.

"Well, see that wasn't so hard to clear up now was it? So, because I'm a nice guy I will gladly repeat the directions to AP English for you. Okay, so you're gonna go down this hallway here-"

"It's okay. I got it the first time. Thanks for your help. Um, I guess I'll see you, whenever."

"Alright, good luck on your first day here in Panther Country," he said as he began to walk away but suddenly turned around, apparently with something else to say to me. "By the way, Tripper, I'll be sure to drop off a note for you in your locker with a bunch of info about yours truly."

"Why?"

"That way we won't have to spend any time together and Coach's wife won't have a clue. It's a win-win situation here. I'll see you around, hopefully on your feet next time."

"Well what about me? Where's your locker so I can slip a note inside with all of my information?"

"You won't need to do that."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You don't need to put any notes of any sort in my locker."

"Well, how on earth are you going to learn anything personal about me."

"Look, new girl, I don't need you supplying any information you think would be helpful in forming some relationship between us. You wanna know why?"

"Yes, I would like to know very much."

"I'll tell you why."

"Please do. Enlighten me."

"You're new here. I'll know everything there is to know about you by the end of the week."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, really. Now if you'll excuse me, I don't wanna be late for class," he stated smugly as he waltzed away.

Oh he may be the hottest thing I ever laid eyes on but I swear I would like nothing more than to run him through with a machete right now. Deciding I had absolutely nothing to lose I decided to voice my opinion for the world to hear.

"Hey Riggins!"

His response was a brief pause in his step before sauntering away again and it pissed me off to no end.

"Fucking arrogant bastard!"

He merely stuck his hand in the air, waved, then continued on his way. God, and it wasn't even first period yet. Shaking my head I decided to get a move on before the bell rang. Trying to recall the vague and mumbled directions Riggins gave me I made my way to AP English. I wound up getting lost, no surprise there, and had to ask a teacher for directions. It turns out I didn't do so badly, I was only one turn away from where I should have been. I reached the classroom door just as the bell sounded. Unfortunately I forgot that people would be coming out of the classroom as well as going into it and suffered the consequences; as soon as the bell sounded the door flung open and smacked me in the nose, not hard enough to break but enough that there would be a nice sized bruise there by the end of the day. No one stopped on their way to their destination though, to see if I was okay. Getting the point that I was going to be the new kid for the rest of senior year I shook my head to clear away some of the pain and resigned myself to the fact that I was going to be stared at and ogled at like I was some kind of foreign animal invading their territory; I guess I was. Thinking to myself that if I went through the rest of the day with a positive attitude, things couldn't get that much worse. I would come to eat those very thoughts, sooner than I thought.

**************************************************************************

I entered the cafeteria with dread, knowing that no one would be bothered to invite me to join their clicks. I got in line, surveyed the food and then decided I would be safest with a simple fruit salad and some water. After paying for my lunch I examined the cafeteria and the precarious seating arrangement; you had your jocks (the Dillon football team), your cheerleaders, your preps, your nerds and dorks, your religious fanatics, your outcasts (including goths, punks, and the like) and finally me, the new kid. Life was so not fair. I decided my best bet was to find an empty space somewhere, in the library if I had to, and sit quietly and eat my lunch in peace. The less commotion I caused the easier things would be for everyone involved, especially his highness Mr. Tim Riggins. He looked especially comfortable with his little cheerleader in his lap; actually, she looked a little chunky for a cheerleader, must be a base. Scanning the room once more I realized there were no openings for me and made the decision to head to the library to find some solace before the rest of the school day commenced. Walking out of the cafeteria with my head down I failed to notice a certain someone's eyes following the sway of my hips as I exited the vicinity. Penetrating hazel eyes followed my every step and then got up, along with the rest of his body, to physically follow me.

*****************************************************************************

_Tim's POV_

As I entered the lunchroom, all heads turned to me in recognition. It's good to be me. I paid for my lunch and walked over to my usual table. Smash was already there; he was never late for a meal of any kind, even school lunches. There were a few cheerleaders already flirting with him and they were more than excited to see me enter their filed of vision. I made my rounds and finally took my seat after grabbing some lunch. Trisha immediately hopped into my lap and began to play with my hair. I pulled away from her hands and straightened my hair as best I could before digging into my lunch. I only spoke when spoken to, as was usual for me, my thoughts being preoccupied with a certain female who had yet to enter the lunchroom. _Now what do we have here._ I watched as she expertly navigated her way through the lunch crowd and made her way to the lunch line. She picked out a fruit salad and a bottle of water, the safest things they serve us here. After paying for her meager lunch, her eyes scanned the lunch room looking for a place to sit. I tried to catch her eyes as they swept over my table but she was too quick. With one final sigh she turned on her heel and exited the cafeteria. _Where, oh where can little miss new girl be going._ Making sure no one was paying attention to me, I got up and threw the remains of my lunch in the trash. Taking one last glance around the room, I quickly made my exit, just in time to see her long dark brown hair softly float around the corner at the end of the hallway. _Well, this is turning out to be quite the interesting lunch period, is it not?_


	4. Chapter 4

SSD

Chapter 3

I finally reached the library after wandering around for about 10 minutes. I entered as quietly as I could and made my way to the front desk, where a very scary looking librarian sat. I tried to settle my nerves as I approached her station, trying not to show how nervous I was. When I reached the desk, I timidly cleared my throat and waited for the librarian to acknowledge my presence.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes ma'am. I was wondering if I could possibly eat my lunch in here?"

"Why?"

"Why?" I asked, confused by her statement.

"Yes, I believe I was clear the first time. Why do you want to eat your lunch in here?"

"Um, there was nowhere to sit in the cafeteria. I'm new and I didn't want to take someone else's seat since I don't know how seating works around here and..."

"That's enough."

I shut up rather quickly, feeling like I was before a drill sargent.

"I don't know who you think you are missy, but there is no way that you can break the rules when no one else can. Now, off to the cafeteria with you. Go on now."

I could do nothing but turn around and head back to the cafeteria. I had never met someone so rude before in my life, and I'm a dancer. That's saying something. I pushed the doors open and stepped out into the hall, trying to find the courage to enter the cafeteria once again. I really didn't want to go back there. Not only because there really was no place to sit, but because I don't think I could stand all the stares and hushed whispers about the new girl. I've been the new girl before but it was never in a small town like Dillon, Texas. Maybe I can just sneak outside, eat my lunch quickly and then make it back inside before the bell rings. With that plan in mind, I looked up and down the hall to find a door that would lead out of the building when I heard someone's footsteps coming towards me. I found the closest door and yanked it open and threw myself inside. I held my breath waiting for the person to pass me by and only when they did, did I allow myself to relax. That is until I heard Mrs. Taylor's voice.

"Beth, is everything okay? Why are you not at lunch? Did something happen?"

I must have looked like a deer in a truck's headlights because Mrs. Taylor stood up and ushered me into a seat in her office. She must have seen my uneaten lunch clenched tightly in my hands for she removed it and set it on her desk.

"Is everything okay? Are the kids not treating you right?"

"No, no Mrs. Taylor, everything is fine. I was just on my way to the cafeteria. I had forgotten some books and wanted to get them before it was too late."

"Okay, well, I'm not sure about lunch rules at your old school but here, once your in the cafeteria, you stay there. I don't want you to get in trouble for something you didn't know about."

"Thank you for your concern, but I think I'll be okay for the rest of the day."

"Well, that's good to hear. Now, tell me, how has Tim been treating you? I hope that boy is behaving himself."

I honestly had no idea what to tell her. I did not want to lie to someone who has gone out of their way to welcome me here. But I couldn't tell her that he ditched me at the first opportunity that he had. I do not approve of lying in any form so I decided to just tell her the truth and hope for the best.

"Well, he did tell me how to get to class and everything. He didn't necessarily walk me there himself because he had class too, and I understand that so I didn't make too much of a big deal out of it. I mean, no one would want to babysit the new kid all day when they have better things to do, right?"

The only thought running through my mind at that time was how much Tim was going to owe me later on. I didn't exactly tell a lie but I surely would not tell Mrs. Taylor that Tim disobeyed her completely. That was his business and his alone.

"Is that so?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Hmm, tell you what. You finish your lunch in here and I'll write you a note in case anyone says anything. I've got something I need to finish up real quick but I'll be right and then we'll chat."

And with that she left the office, shutting the door behind her. I had a bad feeling that Tim was somehow involved and that he was not going to be happy when he found out I was behind more of his punishment. This was not going to be a good first day. I'll be lucky if I can get through the rest of the school day without causing any more trouble.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Friday Night Lights. Only my original characters.

I managed to make it through the rest of the day rather unscathed if I do say so myself. Sure Mrs. Taylor had cornered her husband who in turn cornered Tim, forcing him to walk to each and every class I had today. That was pretty embarrassing since everyone, including the faculty were staring at us. My guess is that I should learn to stay away from Tim. Not only is he popular but apparently he has quite the reputation as well. I remember my mom warning me about people like that.

I was so relieved that I could go home when I heard the final bell ring for the day. I was at my locker, checking to make sure I had everything I would need for homework when I felt someone move in beside me and just stand there. Not feeling very comfortable I turned to see who it was, half hoping that it would be Tim.

"Hey, I'm Julie. My mom said that you were new and that I should introduce myself."

Oh, so this was Mrs. Taylor's daughter. She seemed nice. She was very pretty and from the looks of it she was also a dancer.

"Hi. I'm Beth," I responded, trying out my new nickname for myself. I liked it. It had a certain ring to it.

"Nice to meet you Beth. Hey, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come over my house sometime, you know, hang or something."

"That would be nice."

"Cool. I gotta go right now, but I'll find you tomorrow and we'll set something up, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you tomorrow."

With one last smile she turned and made her way outside. Closing my locker and locking it, I made my way out the main doors and to my car. I managed to make it across the parking lot without any form of embarrassment, which was saying something. I know I am supposed to be a dancer and all, but my clumsiness just won't go away, no matter what I do. I guess that's why I usually keep to myself. That way no one can make fun of me. I got in my car and started the drive home. Once there, I pulled into our driveway and made my way into the garage. I parked and turned the car off before entering the house. It was huge. Way too big for just three people. I called out to let my mom know that I was home and slowly made my way up the large staircase. Once in my room I closed the door and threw myself across my bed. I rolled over on my side and cuddled into my pillows and blankets, drifting off into a pleasant afternoon nap.

After a time I woke up, noticing that it was much darker outside than it was when I got home. Thanking whatever powers that be that I didn't have dance rehearsal tonight, I changed out of my school clothes and into some lounge wear before making my way downstairs. I found my mom in the kitchen making grilled chicken salad for dinner.

"I'm sorry honey, I just didn't have time to stop and pick up something nice for dinner. I hope this is okay with you."

"It's fine, mom. I'm not really all that hungry anyway."

"If you're sure."

"I am."

"How was your day at school? I hope you didn't have too much trouble."

"Things were..........things were fine," I said hoping against hope that she wouldn't notice my long pause in answering her question.

"You paused. That means something happened. Are you okay? Were they mean to you? Do you not like the school?"

"No, I mean yes, I mean...I don't know. Most people just stared at me like I was some new shiny thing to play with and some actually talked to me. Mrs. Taylor was very nice to me and helped me out a lot. Her husband, Coach Taylor, was very nice too. Julie, their daughter, asked me over to her house sometime so that we could hang out. I told her I would like to hang out, but now I'm not so sure. What if she was just being nice because her parents told her to. I don't want to feel like an idiot. Maybe I should just ignore everyone. That way I'll be able to make it through high school without too many stupid moments."

"Elizabeth you stop that right now. You are worth it. You are new and it's scary but you can do this. And so what if only one person talked to you and was nice. Then you have one person who you know won't turn their back on you. And you said this girl, Julie, her father was a coach?"

"Yes ma'am. He coaches the football team at the high school. They're the best, or so I gathered."

"Well if she or anyone else gives you any problems you let me know and I'll talk to their parents. Now go wash up and then we'll eat."

I walked over to the sink and washed my hands. While drying them I thought about what my mom said. I was the new kid and of course people were going to be curious about me but is that any reason to stare at me like I'm some creature at a zoo. I shook my head to rid myself of these thoughts, moving to the kitchen table where my mom had everything set up for dinner. As we ate, she asked some more questions about how I liked the school and what I thought I wanted to do for an activity. And then for some reason, she brought up the one topic I was hoping to avoid for the rest of my life.

"So Elizabeth, any cute boys catch your eye?"

I coughed, nearly choking myself on a bite of salad. I thought this stuff was supposed to make you live longer, not cut your life short.

"NO!"

"Liar, tell his name."

"There is no guy!"

"Elizabeth I raised you myself and I think I know when my own daughter is lying."

"Seriously, there is no guy. Why would I be interested in any guy in this town anyway. Especially if Tim Riggins was the welcoming party."

The corners of her mouth quirked up and it was then that I realized my mistake.

"Tim Riggins, huh? That's a first and a last name. Tell me about him. He must have been something if he caught your eye right away."

Oh, he was something alright. I just didn't think it would be appropriate to say what I thought about him in front of my mom.

"He's just some random guy that got stuck showing me around school all day. He didn't even want to be near me. He's one of those popular jocks who thinks the world revolves around him, expecting everyone to bow down at his feet. And the only reason he showed me around school was because Coach Taylor and Mrs. Taylor made him."

"Okay."

HUH????????????????????

"What do you mean 'okay'?"

"Okay."

"Mom!"

"Elizabeth!"

"…....."

"I'm sorry Elizabeth. But I can honestly see that this boy was one of the people that were not so nice to you today. I was really only expecting a physical description of him, but it seems that his looks didn't even register on your radar because of his attitude. I don't care who he is, it is no excuse for behaving badly to a new student who has no idea where she is in a completely unfamiliar environment. Please finish the dishes before you leave the kitchen."

And with that she placed her bowl in the sink and left the room, most likely heading to her office to get some more work done before bed. I couldn't believe it! My mom had just gotten nearly every detail of my day out of me without me saying a word. It was never like this before. I made sure to keep to myself and therefore I managed to avoid these situations, like the one I had today with Tim Riggins. But I guess it was just my luck to have something bad happen on the first day at a new school, a school obsessed with their football players.

I cleaned up the kitchen and made sure to turn out the lights before heading back upstairs to my room to complete my homework for the night. There wasn't much, surprisingly because I had already done most of the work at my other school. I had to take some placement tests to make sure I wouldn't have to make up too much work and managed to pass all expectations. Once I completed my work, I packed my book bag for tomorrow and laid out my outfit for school. I changed into pajamas and grabbed a book from my massive bookshelf, settling down for the night. I flipped open the book to where I had left off and read for about an hour. I marked my page when I felt my eyes begin to get heavy and placed it on my side table. I set my alarm and turned off my light. I closed my eyes, quickly slipping into a deep sleep, the troubles I had gone from my mind.

* * *

*Dream*

*I could feel his hands. His wonderful hands, ghosting up and down the sides of my body as we moved. Our in sync, every move seemingly choreographed. His hands slid down my body until he reached my thighs. He gripped my thighs, pulling me closer to him, grinding his body tightly against mine. I could feel his obvious erection against my bottom, causing me to throw my head back on his shoulder, causing my breath to come in short gasps. His hands didn't leave their position as he guided me on the floor, his head buried in my neck. I could feel his breath against my neck, hot and sweet, teasing me into submission. There was only so much a girl could take before losing her mind. I tried to turn in order to see this guy who was doing all sorts of things to my mind and body but his hands held firm, not letting twist to see his face.

The music changed from a maddening, grinding beat to a more seductive tone, causing us to change our dancing to accommodate it. Our pace slowed, but we managed to press ourselves even closer together if that was even possible. I titled my head just enough so that I would be able to at least take in his scent, somehow thinking that I would recognize him by his scent alone. I could smell whiskey, leather, fresh hay and the slightest hint of honeysuckle. It was an odd combination but it was definitely enough to make my knees weak. I felt myself collapse against his frame. He took it all in stride and never once removed his hands, keeping me upright and pressed against him. I felt him inhale on my neck, exhaling slowly causing a million shivers to run down my body, pooling together in that secret place between my thighs. This man was dangerous.

I felt his hands move up my body, gently caressing everywhere he touched. His fingers lightly danced over the sides of my breasts, triggering a moan from my mouth. I could feel him smirk into my flesh and then press his lips against my neck, lightly sucking on the skin there. I knew he would leave a mark and for some reason I wasn't offended. I actually liked the thought of me wearing his mark. He moved his sinful lips up my neck to where it met the bottom of my ear, pressing a soft kiss to that area before taking my earlobe between his teeth and sucking on it. Now I was sure I was going to die. He was seriously trying to kill me. He moaned as he sucked on my ear, pulling another moan from my mouth as well.

All of a sudden, my ear was no longer in his mouth and his hands were no longer on my body. In fact I couldn't feel him anywhere near me at all. I quickly turned around thinking that he just wanted me to see him but when I turned I found nothing. No one was there, I was completely alone. It was just me, in my studio, in my house. I started to hyperventilate thinking that I had imagined the whole thing when I heard laughter behind me. I turned and saw the whole entire Dillon High population laughing at me, even Coach and Mrs. Taylor, and Julie. And in front of the whole crowd, there was Tim Riggins.

"Oh come on Elizabeth! Did you really think you were something worthy of me?! God you make me laugh!"

His laughter was louder than the others. I begged him to stop but he wouldn't. His laugh just got louder and louder, so loud that I had to cover my ears with my hands. I closed my eyes and begged them all to stop again, screaming at the top of my lungs when they just laughed harder and louder.*

* * *

I woke up with a startled gasp, my hand pressed against my mouth to keep from waking my mom. I could feel tears making their way down my face. I quickly wiped them away and looked at the time. It wasn't even 2AM and here I was with a nightmare. I tried to lay back down and focus on going to sleep but the images from my dream just kept coming back. I grabbed my book and turned on the light, trying to get some reading done. When that failed as well, I decided to just turn off the light again and lay down, hoping that eventually I would become so bored that I would fall asleep. It must have worked because the next time I opened my eyes I noticed I had about 3 minutes until my alarm was supposed to go off. I turned it off and proceeded to get ready for school.

This was going to be an interesting day, of that I was sure.

* * *

AN: I just want to thank everyone who stayed with this story for so long. I know I have been horrible about updating this story and all my other stories on here as well. I promise, now that all I have to do is sit through my graduation day on May 16, I will try to update as often as possible. I will try to make it at least every week, if not twice a week. So anyway, thanks again for all the reviews and comments. Please leave more and I hope to get the next update out fairly soon.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Friday Night Lights. Only my original characters.

I managed to make it through the first half of the day today without too much trouble. My classes were easy enough to find and the teachers were nice enough as well. So most people left me alone, just staring at the new shiny toy. I ran into Mrs. Taylor and she asked how I was doing. I didn't see Coach Taylor so I assumed he was busy with sports stuff. I made my way into the cafeteria, grabbed some salad, an apple and some water and found a seat by myself. I quietly ate my lunch and then took out a book to read so that I wouldn't be bored for the rest of the lunch period. At one point it felt like someone was staring at me, like right into the back of my head. I glanced up but could not find the source of the stare because it seemed like the entire school was in the lunchroom. Shrugging my shoulders I went back to my book and when the bell rang, I threw away my trash and recycled the water bottle, exiting the room and merging into the crowd of students in the hallway.

I entered my classroom for my Literature class just in time. I quickly took my seat just as the bell rang. Today we were discussing Frank Wedekind's play _Spring Awakening_. It was a very fun class but it also reminded me a lot of my life before the move to Dillon. I used to be on stage, all of the time, no matter what city we lived in. I practically grew up on it. Knowing the musical version of _Spring Awakening_ and comparing it with the original play brought back many memories of years past, some good and some bad. I couldn't wait to do my project on it. The teacher said that we had a project due at the end of the school year, and we could do just about anything for the presentation. I was already going through all the possibilities in my head when the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day for me today. I had a free period but the teacher just took role and then let us leave.

"Ms. Jefferson? Could you please stay a moment?" my teacher asked.

Not knowing what he wanted, I timidly approached his desk, feeling the stares of the others students as they walked out of the classroom. I waited patiently for my teacher to address me, playing with my hands to help control my nerves.

"Ms. Jefferson, I think it would be good to take a seat. This might take a few minutes. I have already informed the teacher of your next class that you are staying for some consultation and she understands and will not fault you for not appearing in class today."

"Yes sir," I said timidly as I softly sat down in a desk in the front of the room.

"Now I would like to start off by saying that you have done nothing wrong and you are not in trouble."

I breathed out a sigh of relief at hearing this.

"In fact, I was quite impressed with your transcripts from your previous school and I also noticed that you were heavily involved in the arts. It is your involvement in extracurricular activities that I would like to speak with you about."

I nodded my head slightly to show that I was listening and that I understood what he was saying.

"Ms. Jefferson I wanted to ask you about an extracurricular activity here at Dillon. It would be a tutoring position, specifically in Literature. There is an opening and I think you would be the perfect person to fill the position."

"Thank you sir, I would be honored to accept the position."

"I'm glad you feel that way. There is one condition."

"Yes sir?"

"You would immediately have a fellow student to tutor. He has been having trouble in this subject ever since he started Dillon high four years ago and has shown no improvement. I am hoping that since you are so well versed in this subject that you might be able to make it more interesting for him."

"That would be fine, sir. I shouldn't have any problem with beginning right away."

"Excellent! Well I will let you meet him right away then. I already asked his teacher for this period to send him to me. I had a feeling that you would agree to tutor him," he said, finishing with a smile on his face.

I sat there trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I would be meeting the student I was supposed to tutor in a few short minutes. I hardly knew anyone in this town, let alone in this school. What if this boy hated me? What if he tried to hit on me? Oh no, what if he was some ugly ogre who wanted to get in my pants and wouldn't take no for answer and then tries to rape me and –

"Ah, he here is. Come in Mr. Riggins. Have a seat."

Excuse me. Did I just hear right? I looked to my right and saw that I did hear right. I was going to tutor Tim Riggins, mister welcome party himself. Oh the joys that make up my life.

"Please introduce yourselves. You'll be spending a lot of time together," my teacher said.

"Um, sir, we have already met. Tim showed me around school the other day."

"Well, glad to hear it. Since you two know each other I'll leave you to figure out a schedule for the tutoring sessions. Just make a note that I would like it to be at least 3 times a week, if not more. And I would like a progress report at the end of each week from you as well, Ms. Jefferson."

"Yes sir."

"I'll see you next week then," he said as he gathered up his papers and left the classroom.

"Well, well, well, we just can't seem to stay away from each other, can we?" Tim drawled with that cocky voice of his.

"I guess not. Listen –"

"No, you listen. I don't do this whole tutoring thing. It's not gonna happen."

"But –"

"No buts. You write your little report and say that I'm improving. You get a gold star for being a good tutor and I get this teacher off my back. Deal?"

"No, no deal. You either show up to these meetings we have to have, or I tell our teacher exactly what you said to me hear and you fail, leaving you in this school another whole year."

I honestly don't know what came over me. I never speak this way to anyone. My mother raised me to be better than this. There was just something about Tim that drove me to madness, and not in a good way.

"I'd like to see you try."

"Believe me, you don't wanna mess with me. Now can we please figure out when we can meet?"

He looked at me for a moment, trying to figure out something to say. And when he opened his mouth, I did not expect what he did say to come out at all.

"Alright,Ms. Jefferson, lets make a deal. If I go to these stupid little sessions then you have to agree to do something for me."

"Tim, this is not a game."

"I'm not playing a game with you, Ms. Jefferson. All I said was that if I do this or you, then you have to do something for me. I call that making it even."

I sighed, knowing that with Tim, I wasn't going to get anywhere unless I played by his rules.

"Okay Tim, what do I have to do?"

"Go out with me."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Yes, I am well aware of what you said. What I don't understand is why you said it."

"Simple, you're new."

"I'm new?"

"Yeah, you're the new kid."

"And that is why I have to go out with you."

"Yeah, well no one knows who you really are and we're all curious. So by going out with me, you meet new people, I find out everything there is to know about you and we're all happy."

I looked at him for a moment with a blank look on my face.

"C'mon. It won't be that bad. And I'll even let you pick where we go."

"You're actually serious about this."

"No date, no tutor."

I sighed again and tried to think of a way out of this. Not coming up with one, I decided to play his game for now, biding my time.

"Okay deal."

"Nicely done Jefferson. Now if you'll excuse me, I have practice to get ready for."

"Not so fast. We need to figure out when to meet. Do you usually have a free period now, before practice?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, well, we'll just meet at this time, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and then we can figure out a time on the weekend to meet briefly. Does that sound okay?"

"You do realize I have to be on time for practice, right?"

"I understand. I won't keep you late. And I know football games are on Friday nights for you, so maybe Sunday would be better for the weekends?"

"Yeah sure, whatever."

"Okay so, lets meet this Sunday around 2pm on the football field. Sound good?"

"Sure."

"Can you say anything else?"

"Sure," he said with a cocky smirk. "Well, it's been fun Jefferson. See ya around," he said, swaggering out the door.

I let out a breath I had no idea I was holding, sinking further into my chair. I cannot believe I allowed myself to be sucked into some shady deal with that boy. It wasn't fair. But it's not like I could just go back and tell my teacher that I couldn't tutor Tim. That would be rude and below me. No, I would stick it out and just make sure I could help Tim improve, even just one point. I would consider that to be an accomplishment. What on earth did I just get myself into?

* * *

AN: Thanks so much to all of you who reviewed. I really appreciate it. So this chapter kind of sets up the next few chapters. There will be some time that I will have to skip in between some of the chapters just to get them to graduation. Anyway, keep the reviews coming and I hope to update again very soon.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Friday Night Lights__. Just my original characters._

_

* * *

_

The week went by and was relatively painless. Coach and Mrs. Taylor were incredible, always making sure that I was taken care of without being overwhelming. I loved that about them. And Julie and I now spent our lunches in the library helping the librarian with stocking and filing. We also spent that time getting to know each other. I found out she was a dancer, like me, and we began practicing together after school in one of the abandoned classrooms. Coach usually drove us home and tried to make conversation about our dancing but it was always awkward. But then again we could never manage a conversation about football with the man so I guess that made us even. Julie even went with me to sign up for classes at the studio in the next town over. She said driving there always sucked but the classes were worth it.

My mother was still working from home. She used Skype to stay in contact with her clients to make sure everything was going smoothly. She was one of the best interior designers in the country and absolutely loved making people happy. Sometimes she even let me help with her projects, taking my opinions and suggestions seriously. This made me feel like we were getting closer as mother and daughter. We drifted apart a little bit after she informed me of our moving to Texas, but we were all each other had so I knew we would move past it eventually. The only thing that still got on my nerves with her was that she was adamant about me fitting in more. She thought I needed more friends. I knew I had one good, true friend in Julie Taylor so in my opinion that was just fine. I didn't want a bunch of fake people hanging around me, forcing me to watch my back at every turn. Oh well, I guess she's just being a mom.

Yeah, things were going great, as long as you didn't factor in Tim Riggins. Tim was my wild card. He pretty much ignored anyone and anything that was not associated with football. That meant me. Oh, he showed up for the tutoring sessions on Tuesday and Thursday and was civil and polite, well as much as Tim Riggins could be. But once they were finished he ran out of the room like I smelled like a two-week-old tuna casserole. I didn't even bother to try to figure him out. I had a feeling that if I tried, I would be looking for the highest point in Dillon to jump off. He seemed like a decent enough guy, but for some reason he liked to portray himself like some who-gives-a-shit jerk. It drove me mad! He's so different with people in private than he is with people in public. I knew he was hiding something but what it was I didn't know. But I sure as hell knew that I was going to find out. I refused to let him make my senior year of high school even more miserable than it already was.

I looked up from my homework and saw that it was almost time for Tim to pick me up for our "date." Why did I agree to this again? Who knows. I had already showered and dried my hair so that it fell in my natural waves down my back. My make-up was minimal as well, since I hated wearing it and this wasn't even a real date. But just because I didn't think of it as a date, didn't mean that I would leave the house looking like trash. I meandered over to my closet to choose an outfit for tonight. He said we weren't going anywhere fancy so I decided to dress up a nice pair a jeans with fleur de lis detailing on the back pockets and an off-the-shoulder red top with white embroidery. I paired the outfit with simple black flats and a red silk headband with a bow attached to the side. I quickly threw on a simple gold necklace that had an old French coin charm on it, and some gold earrings that were in the shape of royal crowns and fleur de lis charms. All in all I didn't think I looked too bad, but not overly dressed. I closed my closet and sat back down at my desk. I had finished my homework and was ready for school tomorrow. It was Sunday night, so I was sure that nothing bad could happen, like running into his friends or being dragged to some crazy party. Everyone was most likely having a quiet family dinner. My mother was locked in her office, working on one of her projects that a client wasn't happy with. I really hate ungrateful people. A horn honking pulled me from my thoughts and when I looked out my window, I saw Tim getting out of his truck and making his way to my front door. I grabbed my purse and hurried downstairs. I quickly scribbled a note for my mother, letting her know that I was going out with a friend and would be back before curfew. I opened the door just as he was about to knock.

"Well, I guess that means you're ready?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yes, I'm ready. I just need to lock the door."

"Were you home alone?"

"No, my mother is working in her office so I didn't want to disturb her. I left a note and I'll just lock the door for her," I said while locking up.

Once I was finished he lead me to his truck and surprisingly opened the door for me.

"Don't look so shocked, Jefferson. I can be polite and charming when the occasion calls for it."

I rolled my eyes, but thanked him all the same. As we were driving I noticed the smell of food coming from the backseat.

"Why do you have food in the back?"

"Because it's our dinner."

"So where are we going to eat it?"

"Outside."

"Outside where?"

"It's a surprise."

"But I want to know."

"Well, I ain't gonna tell you."

"But –"

"Damn woman! I'm trying to be nice here, so will you just be quiet and let me get where we're goin'?"

"Okay," I answered in a small voice.

Needless to say I was silent for the rest of the ride, which didn't take very long. We pulled up to this nice little park, complete with a playground and jogging path.

"Tim, this place is really nice. When did you find it?"

"I used to play here when I was a kid. I played football in that field over there and I just loved coming here and having fun."

"And you decided to share it with me?"

"Well, it's a Sunday night. Where else were we gonna go?"

"Okay, okay. I see your point. But still, thanks."

He smiled and got out of his truck as I did the same. He grabbed the food and the blanket then shut the door and locked the truck before leading me over to the small football field. It was slightly overgrown now but that just meant that it was perfect to lay on. He spread the blanket down and then divided the food between us. Take-out never tasted so good. We mostly ate in a comfortable silence, making light small talk here and there. Once we were finished we threw all the trash away and then sat back down on the blanket. Tim pulled out another container, this one full of mouth-watering chocolate chip cookies. I knew my eyes has to have been as wide as the cookies themselves because Tim started laughing hysterically.

"Jefferson, you are one funny lady. I think I can say that you are gonna enjoy dessert?"

"Uh huh," was my elegant reply.

"Well good."

He opened the pack and placed it between us. I reached out to take a cookie for myself but he slapped my hand away.

"Tsk, tsk Ms. Jefferson. Nothing comes free. You owe me."

"I owe you?"

"Yes, you owe me."

"And what, pray tell, do I owe you?"

"Answers."

"Answers to what?"

"The questions I have."

"And what would those questions be about?"

"You."

"Me?"

"You."

"Why?"

"Because I'm curious."

I didn't have a response for him. It was true. He was a curious boy, a very curious boy.

"So here's what we'll do. We ask each other questions and if the person answers with a satisfying response, they can have a cookie. See, no harm, no foul. Deal?"

I thought about it for a few seconds and then said, "Deal."

And so began our little game. We took turns asking questions on every topic from favorite color and favorite day of the week, to what our favorite childhood memory was and what our plans for the future were. I had a feeling that there was more to Tim than he let people see, and he proved me right that night in the park. I learned that his favorite color was green and that he loved Fridays, especially Friday nights. I should have known that one. He claimed his favorite childhood memory was the first time that he scored a touchdown, but his eyes told a different story. And as for his plans for the future, one word...football. He said he was getting offers from colleges all over the country and would have his pick of wherever he wanted to go. That is, if he passed English this year. When I mentioned that he laughed and said, "That's what you're for , Jefferson." He said it teasingly though, so I knew he was joking.

"Only if you do the work, Mr. Riggins," I replied with a smile.

"Well little miss, it seems we are out of cookies and according to my watch and the sun, it is time for me to take you home."

We folded the blanket and walked back to his truck. He opened the door for me again and then hopped in the driver's seat. The drive home was silent but comfortable. I thought back to everything I had told him during our game of questions. I had never been that open with anyone in my life, not even my own mother. Sure, answering questions about my favorite things was easy but some of the harder questions I had to think about before I answered him. The only one who knew my favorite childhood memory was me, and now Tim. It was my tenth birthday, and the entire party my mother had planned was completely ruined because of a major thunderstorm that rolled through the area. We were living in Colorado at the time and our house was in the mountains so our power was not knocked out, unlike the majority of the city at the base of the mountain. Everyone we had invited was unable to come and I was an absolute mess. My mother decided to cheer me up by teaching me how to bake because my cake was going to be delivered, but the storm changed that. We made cupcakes in the form of all different kinds of animals. That was the beginning of my favorite hobby, next to dance of course. I'm glad that I shared that memory with Tim. It seemed like he was genuinely interested in what I was saying. Tim was a good friend, a true friend, even though we had only known each other for a short amount of time.

I felt the truck come to a stop and realized that we had arrived at my house. Time flies when you're having fun, I guess. I undid my seatbelt and grabbed my purse before opening the door. I turned to thank Tim for a nice night out with a friend only to notice that he was outside waiting for me to get out.

"Oh, um, thanks. I had fun tonight. So, uh, yeah...um, I guess I'll see you around tomorrow then," I said as I began to walk up to my front door.

"Aww, come on now, Jefferson, don't be like that. You're gonna make me look bad. At least lemme walk you to your door."

"Oh, um, okay, I guess."

He reached my side and then we proceeded to walk to my front door together. We reached the small landing in front of the door and he allowed me to unlock it before he stopped me.

"Beth," he called gently, his hand cradling my arm where he was holding it.

"Yeah, Tim," I answered softly.

"I had fun, too."

"I'm gad," I said, noticing that he was still holding me in place.

"Who knew bookworms could be funny?" he chuckled.

"Ha ha, wow. You are absolutely hilarious, number 33."

"Glad you noticed."

we stood there for a moment, his hand on my arm, looking at each other. For some reason his eyes seemed greener, his hair more golden, his skin softer. It was night so I knew it wasn't the sun playing tricks on my eyes. Was the moonlight doing this? He was looking at me with this intense expression on his face, like he was trying to figure something out. I was about to ask him what he was thinking about, when he took two steps towards me, effectively erasing the space between our bodies. I gasped, inhaling his very masculine scent. I swayed slightly, causing him to bring both of his well-muscled arms around my body, encasing me in a warm cocoon. I paced my hands on his chest to steady myself, and realized that it was a big mistake. Now I was touching him. Touching his chest, his well-defined chest.

"Are you okay?" he asked in that rough voice of his.

"Um, yeah, I think so. Just got a little dizzy for a second."

"Are you sure?" he asked as he dipped his head closer to mine.

"Yeah, sure," I whispered as I watched his lips come closer to mine.

"That's good."

"Yeah, good."

"I'm gonna kiss you now, pretty girl," he said as he leaned his forehead against mine.

"Yeah?" I asked as I licked my lips in anticipation.

"Yeah," he whispered as he licked his lips.

"Okay."

And with that he pressed his lips against mine, just resting them there to let me get used to the feeling. He pulled back slightly before crushing my body to his and massaging my lips with his own. It was the most sensual kiss my mouth had ever engaged in, hell, it was my only kiss. His lips caressed mine as he alternated between sucking on my bottom and my top lip. I tried to mimic his movements to the best of my ability. I must have done something right because I felt him moan deep in his chest, and then felt his tongue poke at the seam of my lips. I gasped at the feeling and he used that opportunity to invade my mouth. I tensed at the new sensation but I was instantly soothed by his hands tangling themselves in my hair. His tongue danced around mine in the most erotic way as I clumsily copied his movements. After what felt like forever, he slowed the kiss and retracted his tongue. He nibbled on my bottom lip then soothed the nips with his kiss before pulling away and leaning his forehead against mine again. We were both breathing erratically, trying to calm our racing hearts.

"Wow," he sighed.

"Wow," I echoed.

"That was..."

"Yeah, I know."

"I wanna do that again."

"Me, too."

"But we shouldn't."

"Because I'm your tutor."

"And we'll be graduating soon."

"Besides, it was just hormones."

"Right. We were just on a date so it makes sense to kiss at the end of the night."

"Good point."

Our breathing has finally returned to normal and we pulled apart completely. We each took a step back to provide some much needed space.

"So..." he started.

"So, um, thanks?" I squeaked.

"Yeah, uh, great time and all that."

"Right. So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, tomorrow."

"Well, goodnight, Tim."

"Goodnight Beth."

We shared one last smile before I turned and entered my house, locking the door behind me. I heard his truck start and pull away, and only then did I peel myself off of the door and force my feet to walk up the stairs to my room. I changed out of my date clothes and into my pajamas. I brushed my teeth to complete my nightly routine and then collapsed on my bed. I took a deep breath and let it out before setting my alarm. I rolled over and got under the covers and turned out the light. As I closed my eyes, my last thoughts danced on my lips with a soft sigh,

"Wow."

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**AN: Thanks to all of you for hanging in with this story. I am so bad at updating, but I promise I will be finishing this story. I was thinking about a time jump in the next chapter or two, just to move the story along. And I was also thinking about a chapter from Tim's POV. Let me know what you think. Please send a review. I read them all, I promise. Click the link and send me some love. ***Thanks*****


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own the Friday Night Lights. Only my original characters._

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My date with Tim was the only one I had my entire senior year at Dillon High. Kind of depressing, but I didn't really care. I was still shy and reserved so I was not noticed by guys that much. Add that to the fact that Tim took it upon himself to scare the shit out of anyone of the male sex who even thought about talking to me, even if it was to ask about homework. That boy was strange. I didn't need a personal bodyguard but no matter how many times I told him that, it just didn't get through. I guess he took one too many hits during his football games.

The Panthers won their season, only losing one game. Then they went on to win the state championship. Tim was in such a good mood that I decided to let up a bit on the tutoring sessions. I've never seen the boy smile quite like he did when they won. He was proud of himself. I was proud of him, and not just because his team won. He actually improved greatly in his literature class. I found out that the best way to get him to understand what he was reading was to relate it to football. It turns out that while I was tutoring him in literature, he was tutoring me in football.

Our friendship grew and evolved, too. I'd like to consider us best friends now. I mean, it wasn't like we went around showing off in school or anything. He had his friends and I had Julie to hang out with. But it was never awkward if our circles crossed. Julie was the coach's daughter and I was her best friend so it was bound to happen. My mother and I were invited over to the Taylor's house for dinner numerous times. Mrs. Taylor is such a good cook, nearly as good as my mother. She always made sure to involve Julie and me in helping to prepare dinner. Who knew chopping peppers could be fun?

Julie and I continued our dance classes together and quickly rose to the top in the studio. We were the best dancers the studio had, and proved it in every competition we won. My mother was so proud. She came to every competition, no matter how small, and always displayed my newest awards in the living room. Mrs. Taylor was the same way with Julie. Sure they embarrassed us with their constant screaming and cheering, but we wouldn't have it any other way. Thanks to us, our studio had qualified at the state regionals for the state championship. Our parents were so proud of us and decided to have a huge family dinner, to celebrate our success. It was during this dinner that I learned something more about Tim. Something that I had suspected but never had proof to prove.

_**Flashback**_

_My mother and I rang the doorbell to the Taylor's house. We were here for another family dinner night. We heard footsteps approaching, and I brushed the imaginary wrinkles out of my pants, making sure that I looked presentable. Imagine my surprise when Tim Riggins himself opened the door with his signature crooked smile on his face._

"_Hello, Mrs. Jefferson. Hello, Elizabeth. Please, come on in. Dinner will be ready shortly."_

_He stepped aside and allowed us to enter the house before closing the door behind us. I took off my coat and Tim hung it on the coat rack by the door. I moved to walk into the living room but was stopped by a hand on my arm._

"_You look nice, Jefferson."_

"_Thanks, Tim. It's nice to see you outside of school. What are you doing here?"_

"_Oh, I'm just here," he said as he shrugged his shoulders._

"_Oh, okay. Are you here for dinner?"_

"_Something like that."_

_I decided to drop the subject since I wasn't getting any information out of him. Not like that was a surprise. Sometimes talking to this boy was like pulling teeth. I'd ask Julie about it later._

_We joined the rest of the family in the living room, all sitting around the television and watching whatever game was on. Of course Coach would be watching football. That's all he ever does according to Julie. Tim and I took the remaining seats on the sofa, right next to each other. We were so close that our legs brushed against each other. Neither Tim nor I moved to separate ourselves because there was no room to move since Coach was taking up a good portion of the sofa. I know I didn't move because I liked feeling him sitting close to me. I could feel a blush start to rise from my chest and struggled to keep it under control by focusing my attention to the game on the TV. That worked real quick because I had no clue what was going on, only that the Cowboys were winning, making Coach very happy. We could hear Mrs. Taylor and Julie moving around in the kitchen and I decided to see if they needed any help._

"_Hey, Mrs. Taylor. Hey, Julie. Do y'all need any help in here?"_

"_Hi, Beth. I would love some help. Could you and Julie please set the table? Thanks, doll face," replied Tammy._

"_Sure thing, Mrs. Taylor."_

_Julie and I gathered the utensils and the dishes and started on the table. While we were setting the places, I decided to see if Julie knew why Tim was here._

"_Hey Jules, um, is Tim over here for Coach or something?"_

"_Or something."_

"_Jules, c'mon, we're friends. You can tell me."_

"_I don't know. It's kind of personal for him."_

"_I swear I won't tell. Besides, I'm only friends with you and Tim, so you already know. There's no one else I talk to, and you know it. Please?"_

_I wasn't above begging._

"_Okay, but don't tell him that I told you."_

"_I won't, I swear."_

"_Tim had a real nasty fight with his brother, or something like that. I'm not too sure on the details. But what I do is that Dad found Tim outside our house earlier this week, asleep in his truck. He wok up to get a drink of water and noticed Tim's truck outside. He went out and woke him up, brought him inside and set up a bed for him on the sofa. He's been here ever since. And I don't think he'll be leaving anytime soon."_

"_Whoa."_

"_Yeah, I know. But like I said, don't mention it to him. If he wants to talk, he'll talk. He hasn't even explained what happened to my Dad."_

"_Gotcha. Mums the word."_

"_All set ladies?" asked Mrs. Taylor, as she entered the dining room with the salad dish._

"_Yeah mom, we're good. Beth, lets go get the rest of the dishes and tell the boys and your mom that dinner is ready."_

"_Okay."_

_We finished setting the table and gathered everyone into their seats for dinner. We held hands as Coach said grace, and then began to dig into the perfect Sunday dinner._

"_Tammy, this is so good. I have got borrow your cookbook one of these days," my mom said._

"_Oh just borrow it whenever you want. I don't mind."_

"_Thanks. What do you think Elizabeth, wanna try your hands at a traditional Sunday dinner one night?"_

"_Sure thing, Mom. I can't wait."_

_I felt Tim's eyes on me from across the table. Why did I pick this seat again?_

"_You like cooking, Beth?" he asked in his southern drawl._

"_Uh, yeah. Cooking and baking are fun, at least to me."_

"_Well, I guess I'll have to try your cooking and baking sometime then, won't I?"_

"_Uh, yeah, sure."_

_There was a small silence before Mrs. Taylor decided to bring up our dancing._

"_Now I'm sure we all know that these two young ladies have gone very far with their dancing this year and have accomplished quite a lot."_

"_Good job, girls," said Coach as he chewed his dinner._

"_Eric, please no talking with food in your mouth," Tammy said._

_He swallowed and then smiled and said, "Sorry, sweetie."_

"_Now as I was saying, these girls are some of the best dancers Texas has ever seen. So good in fact that they are going to the state championship that's being held in Dallas. And, as Julie's mother and Beth's number one supporter, next to her mother, I think we should all go and support them when the time comes."_

"_Honey, Dallas?" questioned Coach._

"_Yes, Eric, Dallas."_

"_How much is this going to cost?"_

"_Eric!"_

"_Oh, don't worry, Eric, the studio pays for everything. Transportation, hotels, food, everything. The girls are going to be well taken care of and we'll be fine," my mom said._

"_Everything?" he asked again._

"_Yes, everything, Dad," said Julie._

"_Okay, we'll go," he relented._

"_Thanks Dad, it means a lot."_

"_As long as I won't miss the game."_

"_Eric!"_

"_Kidding honey, just kidding."_

_Mrs. Taylor gave him a sideways glance, knowing that her husband would be bringing a portable TV to their daughter's dance competition._

"_So, it's like States for us?" Tim asked while looking at me._

"_Um, sort of. I think," I answered._

"_Cool," he answered simply, before going back to his dinner._

_I stared at him for a moment too long because I felt Julie kick me under the table. I felt myself blush and went back to eating my dinner. Everyone made small talk for the rest of the meal, smiling and laughing. Even Tim. You couldn't tell anything was wrong with him. But I had a feeling that whatever happened between him and his brother went deeper than he was showing. I resolved that I would at least try to talk to him by the end of the night._

_When dinner was finished, everyone helped clean up and my mom and I prepared to head back home for the night. As we were saying our goodbyes, I noticed Tim staring at me again. I met his eyes briefly before turning back to my mom._

"_Hey Mom, can I stay just a little bit longer?"_

"_Sweetie, I don't think so. I don't want you to walk home by yourself. It's too dangerous at night."_

"_Tim can drive her home, right Tim?" Julie jumped in._

"_Sure thing," he said._

"_I don't want to make you do that, Tim. It's sweet of you to offer but –"_

"_Really, Mrs. Jefferson, it's no problem. I was going to go out for a drive anyway."_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_It's really okay. I promise."_

"_All right then. I expect you home no later than one hour, missy. Is that understood?" my mom said as she looked me in the eye._

"_Yes ma'am."_

"_I'll walk you to your car," Mrs. Taylor said to my mom._

_They went out the front door and stood by our car, just chatting away. It was another ten minutes before my mom finally got into the car and drove home, and Mrs. Taylor came back inside. Julie and I were on the love seat chatting about dance, while Tim and Coach were back to watching the highlights of the game._

"_Not too late, girls. Remember that Tim is driving you home, Beth," she said as she winked at me._

"_Okay, not too late," I replied._

_Why was she winking at me? What did that wink mean?_

"_Actually, I think I am going to finish some homework now. Don't wanna get stuck behind, you know, with the big competition coming up and all," Julie said, unconvincingly._

"_Okay, sweetie. Just go to bed at a reasonable time," Coach replied with his eyes glued to the TV._

_That man and his football._

"_Night, Beth," she said as she flounced off to her room, but not before winking at me._

_Again with the winking. What the hell is going on here? Is there some secret that I don't know?_

"_Night, Julie. See you tomorrow," I replied._

_With that she left me in the living room with Tim and Coach. Well, I guess just Tim since Coach saw nothing but the TV. There was an awkward silence before Tim suggested that we go outside for some fresh air before he took me home. We told Coach that we were going outside for a bit, but I'm not sure that it even registered with the man. He helped me with my coat and then held the door open for me. He closed it behind us and then sat on the porch swing, patting the space beside him, letting me know that he wanted me to sit next to him._

"_So," he started._

"_So," I replied._

"_Big competition coming up soon."_

"_Yeah."_

"_Think you're gonna win?"_

"_Maybe, I don't know."_

"_Why not?"_

"_There's so many other studios in Texas that are so much better than ours. I've seen the dancers on Youtube and they are amazing."_

"_Well then you just have to be better."_

"_I don't think that's possible, Tim."_

"_Why not? Coach has us study our opponents so that we are prepared for them each game. Same thing with your dancin'. Know the opponent, best the opponent."_

"_You make it sound so simple."_

"_That's because it is."_

"_I wish I could think like you sometimes."_

"_It's not that hard," he said as he chuckled._

"_True," I giggled._

_We were silent for a few moments. We could hear the night come alive around us. Crickets chirping, owls hooting, the wind blowing. It was so peaceful, sitting here next to Tim. I felt so calm, like nothing mattered. Like everything would work itself out. He just had that effect on me. I wonder if he had that effect on other people. Like say, other girls?_

"_I know you wanna ask me something."_

"_Huh?" was my elegant reply._

"_You wanna ask me something. You have since dinner. I saw you talking to Julie. Did she tell you?"_

"_Tell me what?" I said, trying to play dumb._

_Damn boy is more perceptive than he lets on._

"_About why I'm here."_

"_You were here for dinner."_

"_Beth," he sighed._

"_Okay, okay! But I swear, I was just curious! I didn't mean anything by asking Julie. Don't be mad at her. I begged her to tell me. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have even asked. It's not my business."_

"_Calm down, Jefferson. I'm not mad."_

"_You're not?"_

"_No."_

"_But I pried into your personal business."_

"_Like you said, you were just curious. Can't fault you for that."_

"_Really?"_

"_Really."_

"_Billy and I got into a fight. A bad fight. He kicked me out."_

"_So you wanna talk about it?" I asked softly._

"_Not really."_

"_Okay."_

"_Thanks."_

"_For what?"_

"_For just lettin' me be. People like to pry, or make up stuff about shit that they have no business knowin'. But you're not like that."_

"_If it's not my business, then it's not my business. You'll talk when you wanna talk, and you'll talk to who you wanna talk to. Simple as that."_

_He smiled at me, that wonderful crooked smile. I smiled back shyly. That boy._

"_I suppose I should get you home soon. I don't want your mother to think that I stole you away," he chuckled._

"_No, I guess that would be bad if she thought you ran away with me."_

"_C'mon, Jefferson. Lets go."_

_He popped his head back inside to let Mrs. Taylor know that he was taking me home and would be right back. He then lead me to his truck and helped me in before jogging around to the driver's side. He started it up and we were soon in front of my house. We both got out and he walked me to my door again, claiming that he didn't want some bad guy to steal me away. He said that if he couldn't, then no one could. I couldn't help the smile that came over my face at that. I stuck my key in the door and unlocked it before turning to Tim and thanked him for driving me home._

"_So, two weeks, right?"_

"_Two weeks?"_

"_Yeah, for your dance thing with Jules?"_

"_Oh, yes. Two weeks."_

"_How long does it last?"_

"_Just the weekend. We have off those extra days from school, so it works out."_

"_Hmm."_

"_What does that mean?"_

"_Well, I was thinking about going with the Taylors to show my support, that is if you don't mind?"_

_I was shocked. Tim? Wanting to go to a dance competition? Willingly?_

"_Huh?" I grunted, again._

"_C'mon, Jefferson. Can't a guy show his support for his favorite dancer?" he smirked._

"_Well, I guess. I just didn't think you were interested in watching dance."_

"_I don't like dance. But I like watching you dance."_

"_Oh, I see."_

"_You see?" he smirked._

"_Yes, I do. But I hate to burst your bubble. There will be no stripping on my part. And none on Julie's part either."_

"_Aww, that's too bad. I was hoping for a little skin," he grinned._

"_Sorry to disappoint."_

"_I guess I will just have to settle for your beautiful face as you gracefully waltz across the stage in one of your little fairy costumes," he said as he took little steps closer to me._

"_Fairy costumes?" I laughed._

"_You know, those pretty little dresses that those dancers always prance around in."_

"_Fairy costumes."_

"_Yep," he said, popping the 'p'._

"_Cute."_

"_What can I say?"_

_I shook my head at him and giggled again. That boy knows how to make me laugh._

"_But seriously, would you be okay with me comin' and supportin' you? And Julie, too, of course."_

"_That would be really nice, Tim. I would love it if you came with us."_

"_Well then I'll be there with bells and whistles, cheerin' you on in the audience."_

"_I look forward to it."_

"_I gotta get back. Don't want Mrs. Coach to be yellin' when I get there."_

"_Okay. Thanks again for the ride, Tim. I really a –"_

_He cut me off by pressing his lips firmly to mine. This was the second time he kissed me. I could not react fast enough to keep up with him. When I gasped, he slipped his tongue inside my mouth, exploring every inch. He lightly sucked on my tongue, causing my knees to buckle and a moan to escape my throat. He pulled back just as soon as he started. His eyes were dark and his breathing was heavy._

"_Even better than I remember."_

_I was silent, my eyes blinking owlishly._

"_See ya later, Jefferson," he winked and swaggered back to his truck._

_He beeped lightly as he pulled away from my house and disappeared around the corner._

_**Flashback**_

That night I learned that Tim had a quiet strength about him. He only talked when he had something important to say. His words were never meaningless. He kept those he loved close to his heart, and only let it show when it needed to.

Yes, Tim Riggins was a mystery that I was beginning to enjoy. A little too much.

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**AN: So I hope that me writing an extra long chapter makes up for my lack of updating. I am so bad with that. I apologize. But I hope you all really liked it. I tried to explain a little more of their relationship, since I am jumping some time in the next chapter. I promise, the next one will be in Tim's POV. I will try to get that up by the weekend, since the hurricane is deciding to hit the shore on Labor Day Weekend. Yeah, my plans were all canceled. Oh well, more time to write. Also, I will try to start responding to reviews that you all leave me. I will try to be good with that, but no promises on responding to every single review. So, please leave me a nice review and I'll try to post faster and respond to each one. Thanks all!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Tim POV:**

I could not believe that I was actually here. I mean, always wanted to go to Dallas. That's a given. But seriously, me, at a dance competition? What the fuck was I thinkin'? Not to mention I had the great idea to drag some of the boys with me. You know, misery loves company and all that. I am never gonna live this down. I glanced over at them and noticed that Matt was havin' a hard time keepin' his eyes open, and Smash was glarin' like hell at everyone that walked past. Landry was just takin' everything in, his eyes wide as girls ran here and there in their little dance outfits. Tyra was here, too. She said she always came to Julie's dance competitions when they were nearby. Then she threatened me if I ever told anyone about it. Like I was gonna tell someone I went to a dance competition and saw Tyra there. I ain't that fuckin' stupid.

"How ya holding up, son?" Coach asked me.

"Well as can be, I guess."

"You'll be alright. Jules is coming up soon."

"That's good. She's gonna win, right?"

"I don't know. I hope so. Last time she lost, her and her mother were completely unbearable for weeks. It was ugly."

"What about Elizabeth?"

"Honestly, never saw her dance before. Tami always takes them to dance, or watches them."

"You think they'll win?" asked Matt.

"I hope so. For our sake, I really hope so," Coach answered grimly.

"Eric!"

"The lady beckons," he sighed and trudged off to see what Mrs. Coach was yellin' about now.

"Tim?" Smash asked.

"Yeah?"

"You're fuckin' dead, you know that, right?"

"Yeah."

"Just checkin'."

"Gotcha."

We were silent, just lost in our own worlds for the next several minutes. Mrs. Coach and Tyra came over and sat in front of us. They were gossipin' about something. Who knows. I looked around for something to catch my attention but was sadly disappointed. I never thought I would be bored with a bunch of half-dressed girls runnin' here and there in front of me. I'm losin' my mind, that's the only explanation. I turned my attention back to Mrs. Coach and Tyra, listening to their conversation. Turns out it was more interesting than I would have ever guessed.

"Can you believe those girls? I swear I would never let my daughter dress like that at her age. Dance costume or not," Mrs. Coach fumed.

"I know, Tami. They are just kids. That should not be allowed."

"I just cannot believe that parents would think it's okay!"

"I hear ya."

"I just hope Jules and Beth are okay. Do you think I should check on them again?"

"Tami, they're fine. They're grown women. They can take care of themselves."

"I know, I just worry."

"Me, too."

"I just don't feel comfortable leaving them alone like that. What if the other girls in their category decide to pick on them? I should go make sure they're okay," she said as she started to stand up.

I nudged Landry, who was sittin' next to me. This was getting' good. Apparently Jules and Beth had some rivals. I wonder if there was any chance of a cat fight. I sure hoped so. Landry looked at me and I pointed in front of us. He nodded and then listened in.

"Tami, they are fine. They know how to take care of themselves. We all taught them how to throw a punch and a jab. Sit down before you embarrass them and yourself," Tyra said as she tugged Mrs. Coach back into her seat.

"But you saw the looks they were giving them. They were not looking to practice good sportsmanship. I can tell you that much."

Tyra sighed and ran her hands through her hair. Then I got an idea. Not necessarily a good one, but it was an idea.

"Mrs. Coach?"

"Yes, Tim?" she asked, turning around to face me.

I also had the attention of the guys. This was good. They would go along with me. Hopefully.

"You want us to check on Jules and Beth? You seem really worried."

"Tim it's not necessary and you know it," Tyra snipped.

"Actually, I would appreciate that very much. That is very nice of you, all of you."

"Yeah, no problem, Mrs. Coach. We need to stretch our legs anyway. Might as well make sure everything is okay with Jules and Beth," Smash said with an easy grin.

Mrs. Coach smiled at us and said, "You boys are too much. I'm glad to see that Eric taught you football and manners."

We all smiled charmingly. But Tyra wasn't buying it. Gotta watch her.

"The girls are in waiting room 3. I'm sure they would love to know that you are here supporting them, just like they support you every week."

"Absolutely," I said.

We all got up and exited the ballroom. We took a moment to look around the lobby of the hotel and stretch our limbs. We knew we were attracting stares from girls and their mothers. It's hard to be this hot sometimes. Once we had our moment, we found some older lady working one of the flower tables and asked her where the waiting rooms were. She told us and we made our way across the lobby and down one of the side hallways. Soon we found waiting room 3, and I knocked on the door. It opened a few seconds later to reveal a girl, completely covered from head to toe in pink feathers and sequins. My eyes hurt. Like seriously, my eyes really hurt. I think I'm blind.

"Can I help you?" she asked suggestively.

I shuddered. My stomach turned. I couldn't even see any of her natural skin under all of that make-up. She looked like a clown. I hate clowns. I was frozen in my disgust, so Matt answered her.

"We're looking for Julie Taylor and Elizabeth Jefferson. Are they in here?"

"They're busy," she snipped, not even telling our girls that we were here for them.

"Could you tell them we want to see them?" Matt asked nicely.

"They're really busy right now," she said eying us again. "But I'm available. I could help with anything you need. _Anything_, seriously. Just name it."

I had enough of this.

"Jefferson! Mini Coach!" I shouted into the room.

We heard some scrambling and then our girls appeared. They looked shocked to see us back here. They looked at each other and then pushed past the scary clown, slamming the door closed in her face. Now we were all in the hallway. I opened my mouth but Julie motioned for us to move down a little bit so that the other girls wouldn't listen to our conversation.

"What are you guys doing here?" she half screamed.

"Just checkin' on ya, girl," answered Smash.

"Really?" she asked, not believing us.

"Tim told your mom that we'd check on you. She was worried about you bein' in there with all those other girls. She said they were mean," said Landry.

"Well, that's very sweet, Landry, but we're fine. So you can go sit back down and just ignore my mother."

Julie gave us all looks but we held our ground. She huffed and then made her way back to the waitin' room. Elizabeth, however, stayed where she was.

"You coming, Beth?" Jules asked.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a second," she called back.

Julie turned and went back into the room. When she opened the door we could hear all the voices stop, know that they wanted to know what four football players were doing askin' for her.

"Thanks guys, it was nice of you all to come back here and check up on us. Even if we didn't really need it," she said sweetly.

"No problem, Jefferson. Just lookin' out for our own," Smash said with a smile.

She smiled back at him. I didn't like that.

"Yeah, Beth. Just makin' sure you were ready and had everything you needed," I said, bringing her attention back to me.

"I appreciate it, Tim, I really do. It's nice to finally have someone on our team."

"No one's cheered for you before?"

"Besides our parents, no."

"Damn girl, that sucks," said Matt.

I glared at him. You don't say that. Ever. Especially not to Beth. What the fuck? Where the fuck are these thoughts comin' from? I need to get my head checked when we get back. First, I don't notice the half-dressed girls parading in front of me and now I'm ready to beat a teammate for stating his opinion.

"Well, you got us now, Elizabeth. We'll cheer for you. And Julie, too. We're sittin' with your parents and Tyra," Landry said.

"It means a lot. Thanks," she said shyly.

"Ms. Jefferson! Your group is up next!" some woman shouted at us.

The door to the waiting room opened and the other girls came out and started making their way to the ballroom. Julie came out last and was waiting for Beth.

"I guess you gotta go now, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah. I need to go. But I'll see you out there?"

"Of course. We'll be there with bells on. Can't miss us," I smirked at her.

"Okay. Well, bye for now, then."

"See ya."

She waved one last time and then trotted off to meet Julie. Together they walked around the corner, but not without giving me one last look. I knew I had some stupid grin on my face but I didn't care. Beth made me smile. And I liked it.

"Oh My God!" yelled Smash.

"What?" I asked, pretendin' like I didn't know.

"You're crushin' on Jefferson!"

"I am not."

"Boy, you ain't no fuckin' liar and you know it. Why didn't you tell us?"

"What are we, Gossip Girl?"

"Huh?"

"Jules watches it."

"Oh. But seriously man, you hit that yet?"

"No Smash, I did not hit that yet. And I'm not goin' to."

"You're shittin' me, right?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"'Cause she ain't like that. And I ain't gonna make her like that."

"Well, then, can I hit that?"

I don't what came over me, but the next thing I registered was that I had Smash up against the wall, my fist clutching the front of his shirt.

"Okay man! I get it! She's off limits! Put me down, man!"

I let him go and walked away. I reached our seats in the ballroom before the other guys. Mrs. Coach looked back at me with a questioning look on her face.

"They're good. They just got called to get ready backstage. I guess they'll be comin' on soon."

"Thank, Tim. Really, that was nice of you."

"No problem," I said as I settled myself into my seat.

The other guys came back and sat next to me. Smash made eye contact and I saw that he was sorry for what he said about Beth. I nodded in acknowledgment. Things were good again with us.

Some lady came on the PA system and announced the girls' category. They were last. They were dancing together. I hoped it would go fairly quickly but of course, everything I want, the opposite happens. There were only 6 other girl before Jules and Beth, but fuck, did it seem like forever. Things would break, a girl would get sick on stage and then it would need to be cleaned, someone would be missing part of a costume, the sound system wouldn't play right. I couldn't have been more happy when it was finally time for Jules and Beth to dance. It was like they were savin' our lives. They were the last in the category, which meant we got to eat after they were done dancin'. Thank God for some miracles.

They took the stage, and once again I was struck by how beautiful Beth looked all dolled up. Her and Julie were dressed the same, but she just held my attention. The music started and they moved towards each other to the center of the stage. I never thought dancin' could be beautiful, but these girls proved otherwise. The way they moved, completely in sync with each other, was amazing. They spun around and leaped into the air, never losing time or stride. If they were football players, they would be unbeatable. Their timing and execution was perfect. And Beth's smile was just pure happiness. My heart thudded a little harder. The music came to an end and they stopped in their final pose. The crowd went wild. Smash pulled out the air horns he brought withhim and blew them over and over again. The rest of us were screaming at the top of our lungs, standin' and stompin' on our chairs. Our girls were amazin'!

They bowed and exited the stage, and then the announcer lady said that we were breaking for lunch. We all made our way to the lobby to wait for the girls to change.

"Tami, they're gonna win, right?" asked Coach.

"Honey, I don't know. That's in the judges' hands. They did their best and that's all we can ask from them."

"But that was like, perfect. They should win. It's not that hard of a decision."

"See, this is why you don't come to these things. It's always about winning to you."

"It's a competition! You're supposed to win!"

"They are supposed to dance their best and that is it. If they win, great, and if they don't, great."

"But they should win."

"Eric, just leave it. Congratulate the girls on a job well done and leave it alone."

"Maybe I should talk to the judges. You know, make sure they saw what I saw."

Mrs. Coach didn't even say anything. She just looked at Coach for a long moment and then turned around to see the girls walking towards us. Coach had that look on his face, like he gets during a game when a questionable call is made. He was going to do something stupid. Even I know not to mess with Mrs. Coach when she says something. He turned to tell us to back him up but we just shook our heads. He was on his own.

The girls came out, faces freshly washed and in regular jeans and tees. They looked so much more relaxed. Beth still had that glow about her. It was a good look for her. Coach and Mrs. Coach congratulated them and then we were off to eat. Everyone walked ahead of us, leaving us to ourselves.

"Good job, Jefferson."

"Thanks, Tim."

"You were good."

"Really?"

"I don't lie."

She gave me a look.

"Okay, I don't lie that much. And I have never lied to you."

"That's true. But seriously, thanks for coming and cheering us on."

"No problem."

We walked in silence for a few seconds.

"Hey, Beth?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you save me a dance at graduation?"

"You want to dance with me?"

"After what I just saw in there, I'd be surprised if you wanted to dance with me."

"I would love to dance with you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Cool."

"Cool."

"C'mon 33! You getting' slow, man! We should put Mini Coach in your spot on the team!" Smash laughed.

We both chuckled and hurried to the cars. I opened her door for her and then climbed in after her. She smiled shyly and buckled herself in for the ride. I chuckled to myself. She was just so sweet. I'm glad I got to know her. I reached over the seat and grabbed her hand. I could almost feel her blush rise to her face. It made me feel good. I liked that feeling. She threaded our fingers and held on for the rest of the ride. This was promisin' to be a very good weekend, for both of us.

* * *

**AN: So, as promised, Tim's POV. I am working on posting the links to the costumes and the dance itself on my profile. I am sorry for the late update. Life is just crazy when you are planning on moving across the country by the beginning of next year for school. Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter ready soon.**


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except my original characters._

**_AN: I hate these as much as the next person, but I really need to write one here. First, I am sorry for the long wait. I am busy, busy, busy right now, so any updates will be slow. I do plan on finishing this story, and this chapter moves it along a little more. I hope everyone likes it. Thank you to all my loyal readers, and all of my new readers. You guys are so awesome! _**

**_Second, I just want to remind everyone that this is a fiction website. That means that the writers can make up whatever they want about the TV shows, books, movies, etc. that they want, as long as they acknowledge that they do not own the original. I had a reviewer tell me that I was wrong about something I wrote in one of my stories, and it really ticked me off. I know that what I am writing in that story is not as the original author wrote in the book. DUH! This is a fiction story website. If you are going to act like that with any writer on here, you have no business leaving reviews like that. It is just rude. _**

**_Ugh! I am so sorry I ranted before you even get the chance to read the story, but I felt like it needed to be said. So, bad stuff aside, I really hope you enjoy the chapter._**

* * *

I can't believe it. I graduated.

It was nice. That's all I really have to say about it.

The rest of the school year had come and gone quickly. Julie and I won our dance competition. Everyone said it wasn't even close, but they are family and friends and they are always obligated to say that. But we won and we were happy and that's what counted. Tim and I continued our study sessions, and they were less painful than before, due to Tim actually making an effort. He managed a B as his final grade in that class. I was so proud of him. Seriously. He changed my opinion of him. In the beginning, I thought he was just some dumb jock, but now, I know there is a lot more to him that he doesn't let people see. For what reason, I do not know, but that is his choice to hide and show what he wants.

The graduation itself was a rather small and quiet affair. It went quickly, thank God, since it was about 85 degrees outside with not a cloud in the sky. Tami and Coach gave their speeches, along with the principal, and then it was my turn. Yeah, turns out I made valedictorian. My mother was so proud of me, as were Julie and her parents. Tim and the boys made a big fuss about it and threw me a little surprise picnic on the field, the weekend before graduation. Coach gave them hell about cleaning up and leaving the field the way they found it. It was really sweet of them.

I tried to make sure that my speech was fun and relevant to our class. It was harder than I thought it was going to be because I really only knew a few people. After days of thinking, drafting, throwing paper around my room, and drafting again, I decided to write about what I knew. My friends. They were there for me from the beginning. Okay, so only Julie was, but the others quickly followed. We formed bonds that we would carry with us when we left. We had hardships, but there were also many fun times. We laughed, we cried, we grew into young men and women that we could be proud to be. I received a standing ovation, started by the football team, but a standing ovation nonetheless.

I looked around as I sipped my juice near the refreshment table. It was hard to believe that I only met these people a few short months ago. Julie Taylor was easily my best friend. I don't think I would have survived without her. We were both going to Los Angeles, to UCLA. We got into their Liberal Arts program for dance, and we were also accepted into their Literature program. We were going to double major together. It was ambitious, yes, but we were confident in our abilities. My mother decided that she would also move out to LA, just to make sure we would have someone out there in case we needed them. That made Julie's parents much more relaxed about her moving so far away from them. Tyra was coming with us, but she was accepted into the Business and Communications program at UCLA. She always did have a mind for money and business. Plus she was bossy, but that's what made her Tyra. The boys were all going to schools in Texas. They would not be going to the same school, except for Landry and Tim. They were both going to the University of Texas, on football scholarships. I just prayed that the boys were smart enough to stay in school and get their degrees before going Pro. I would miss everyone, of that I was sure.

"Where's your mind, baby girl?"

I jumped, only to find Smash right behind me. Sometimes I swear he just walked on air.

"Smash! You scared the crap out of me!" I exclaimed, with my hand holding my heart.

"Sorry," he grinned.

I knew he wasn't.

"Congratulations, baby girl. I'm proud of you. We are all."

"Thank you," I blushed.

"Don't go gettin' all shy on me, now. You can be proud of yourself, too. It's good for you," he grinned.

I smiled a little wider.

"There's that million dollar smile."

"You're one of a kind, Smash."

"I know," he said while looking over my head, which was not a hard feat.

I turned to see what he was looking at, and saw that Tami was walking over to us, with my mother in tow.

"That is my cue to leave, baby girl. I'll catch you later at Coach's, yeah?" Smash asked as he backed away.

"See you there," I said as I waved a little.

I turned around again to face my mother and Tami. They both ran the last few feet to meet me with a double hug. It made me feel even happier. These women supported me all year, and I knew they would be there for me in the future, should I ever need them again.

"Oh, Elizabeth! I am so proud of you, sweetheart!" my mother squealed.

"Beth, you were amazing! That speech was perfect. I knew you would be great," Tami smiled.

"Thanks," I blushed.

"Oh, I am going to miss you so much!" my mother cried, some tears leaking from her eyes.

"Mother, did you forget that you will be moving to LA, too?"

"It's still not the same. You will be in your own apartment with your friends, and you'll have school and your job. And I'll be alone in my apartment."

"Mother, you're in the unit right down the hall from us. It will be okay," I tried reassuring her.

"I know, but..." she tried to say, but was cut off by her own sobs.

I looked around, slightly embarrassed. I made it threw the entire year without being too embarrassed by anything or anyone, and now my mother decides to lose it. Just great. Tami must have seen my face because the next thing I knew, she was dragging my mother away, telling me that she would see me later at the party they were throwing for me and Julie and the boys, mainly Tim, at their house. I nodded and lifted my juice back to my lips, intending on taking another sip. As I closed my lips around the cup, I felt two people jump right next to me.

"Beth!" Julie and Tyra screamed, making me spill some of my juice, but thankfully not on my dress.

They giggled and Julie took my drink from me, throwing it away, before linking arms with me as Tara did the same. They started walking me towards the parking lot. I guess we were leaving.

"Free at last!" Tyra shouted.

"Thank God," Julie sighed.

"You're right, but I will miss everyone," I said.

"Yeah. But next Autumn, we will be in LA, on the beach with all the hot guys in the world falling at our feet," Tyra smirked.

"Seriously?" Julie asked sarcastically.

Tara just stuck her tongue out in response. Those two would never change. We reached the parking lot, and noticed that my mother and Julie's parents were waiting for us. Tyra was going to stop at her house first and then meet up with us later. We waved goodbye and parted ways for now. Julie and I skipped over to where our parents were waiting. We chatted a little longer before my mother and I decided to stop at our house to grab everyone's gift before heading over to the Taylor's. I was about to get into the car, when I realized that I had not seen Tim after the ceremony. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen him since I locked eyes with him during my speech. My mother noticed my hesitation.

"Elizabeth, are you okay? Did you forget something?" she asked, concerned.

"No, no. I'm fine. I just realized that I didn't see someone."

"Oh, well, you'll probably see them later at the party. We need to leave now so we won't be too late."

"Yeah, you're right," I mumbled as I got into the car.

She started the engine and in fifteen minutes, we were home.

* * *

We entered the house and my mother helped me place my graduation cap and gown in my room. While she hung it up in my closet, I slipped off my flats and took my hair down, shaking it out. It was perfectly wavy, thanks to being in a twist all day. I placed my flats underneath my bed, then waltzed over to my closet and stood next to my mother.

"Are you going to get ready, Elizabeth?"

"Yes."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No, you can stay. You're my mother. You've seen it all."

"True," she giggled.

I quickly dressed in a yellow and lace, strapless sundress, with sparkly pumps. Then I went to my jewelery box and picked out a pair of simple earrings and a ring. I applied a golden, smokey look to my eyes and then turned around to show my mother.

"Perfect, as always."

"Thanks. You were always good at teaching me fashion and make-up."

"Well thank you, Elizabeth. Now, we should grab those presents and get going before we are later than fashionably late."

With that, she hurried out of my room and down the stairs. I followed, after grabbing a light cover up, should we still be there after the sun sets and the night gets chilly. Yes, it was May, but the nights could still send a chill up your spine. I hurried and hopped in the car, and we were on our way.

* * *

We quickly arrived at the Taylor's house, where we were greeted with people. A lot of people. They were spilling out of the house onto the front lawn, and most likely into the backyard as well. We managed to push our way inside and found Tami in the kitchen with Julie and Tyra.

"Hey, y'all! Glad you made it!" Tami shouted over all the noise coming from Coach and some of the boys in the living room.

"Glad to be invited. Thank you so much for having this party. It really means a lot," I said shyly, tucking some hair behind me ear.

"Oh hush. Now, you girls go have some fun, and leave this stuff to us moms," Tami said, shooing us out of the kitchen.

We complimented each others' outfits and made our way through the house, grabbing some sodas along the way. We eventually made our way into the backyard, where most of the girls had congregated, since the boys had claimed the living room and the TV. I mingled for a few minutes, before slinking off to a corner of Tami's garden, sitting in one of the lounge chairs. I was sitting there for some time, my soda empty, when I felt someone stand over me, blocking the sun's rays from hitting me, casting me in their shadow. They were tall, and broad shouldered, obviously a boy. I was about to turn around when I felt a pair of hands gently massage my shoulders.

"You are certainly lookin' mighty fine, Ms. Jefferson," he said with his honeyed voice.

I sighed and leaned back into his touch. His hands were working wonders on my tense shoulders and I was not about to tell him to stop. His touch, cool from the drink he had to have had in his hands at some point, was warming me more than the sun ever could. I would miss our quiet moments like this, the moments, where, even in a crowed environment, we could have our own moment, just the two of us. I sighed and closed my eyes, letting my mouth curve into a satisfied smile.

"What's got you smilin'?"

"Nothing."

"Looks like somethin' to me."

"Your eyes are just playing tricks on you."

"Really?" he asked as he worked his hands deeper.

"Really," I nearly moaned.

"Well, I guess I should get my eyes checked."

"I guess so."

A comfortable silence settled over us as I scooted forward and allowed him to sit behind me. He pulled me closer to him and continued to work my shoulders. Sadly, though, we could not stay like this.

"Hey, boy! Hey, girl!" Smash yelled.

I was really beginning to believe that I would not miss him as much as my other friends.

"What do you want?" Tim groaned.

My thoughts exactly.

"Nothin'. Lets get a little game goin'. Yeah?"

I felt Tim sigh, and knew that he would really like to play around with his friends.

"Go ahead. I'm going to go back inside and cool down."

"But we-"

"We'll chat later, okay? Go. Have fun." I said as I stood.

"I'll find you later. Don't leave before you see me again."

"I won't. I promise," I said as I waved, walking back to the house.

"Jefferson!"

I turned around, looking at Tim. The look in his eyes was one that I had never seen before. And I liked it. He walked right up to me and slowly raised his hand, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear. He leaned in close, whispering gently in my ear.

"I will find you, pretty girl. I promise."

I shivered. I felt him smirk as he pulled away. He had that same look in his eyes. And yes, I liked it very much.

* * *

**Review! Please and thank you!**


	11. Chapter 11

First, I want to apologize for not updating over two years. I didn't forget about these stories. After obtaining my Master's in English and my Master's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, I find I am a much better writer than when I started on this site.

That being said, I have decided to take down these stories, and start new. Some will be the same, but with better writing, others will be completely different.

I apologize to those who were looking forward to the continuation of these particular story lines, but I feel it is for the best to start from scratch and give the readers on this site something worth reading.

Thanks for sticking with me, and hope any readers will follow me with my next endeavors.

I will say this. My next stories will be in the Lord of the Rings category.


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